A resident is looking for recommendations for a contractor to remodel their kitchen. If anyone has any suggestions, please share them in the comments. There are older posts with similar info that can readily be found using the search function at top right but the info may be out of date—contractors come and go—so it’s good to get the latest from neighbors.

For those who were following the discussion a few months back about smart thermostats, you might want to check out the most recent comment.

Now seems as good a time as any to remind people to check the filters on their heating/cooling systems. A dirty filter hampers efficiency, raises your electric bills, and shortens the life of your heat pump.

And, on that note, a resident recently shared his experience with efficiency issues and his planned overhaul using A1 Maintenance:

I had a new heat pump installed about 8 years ago.  It never worked right.  To make a long story short, I discovered (on my own) that the fan was pulling in air from underneath the unit.  This caused the outgoing air to be about 5 to 10 degrees cooler than it should be.  Of course, this adds to my heating and cooling costs.  I also discovered that the new heat pump is extremely sensitive to air flow, meaning that if your filter is the slightest bit dirty, the flow through the unit is affected and subsequently your outgoing air will be cooler in winter and vice versa in summer.  I am having A1 maintenance pull this unit completely out and we will reseal the back against the chase.  He’ll install it on blocks, fix the kinked drain, check the charge (coolant) and then cut and fix a new vent to the front of the unit.